Dead of Winter

Chapter 50

‘Unlike the previous victims, an attempt had been made to dispose of the body by burning it.’

Davidson sat at Carter’s old desk and bowed his head in thought, as if he had a heavy weight on the back of his head. Occasionally he seemed to realize what he was doing and sat upright, but slowly gravity pulled him back down.

‘She was a young girl of around ten years old. .’ Harding was addressing the meeting. ‘She was found by DC Willis and DS Carter in a fire pit hidden beneath a compost bin.’

Jeanie looked across and smiled at Ebony proudly. It was eight in the morning in the ETO. The room was packed to hear about the latest development.

Harding continued: ‘The temperature in the pit was not high enough to have much impact on the skeleton but the flesh has gone. The bones are mainly yellowed and some splintering has occurred. We will still be able to extract mitochondrial DNA. We’re waiting on results. I can’t give you cause of death but it’s not strangulation. The small bones at the top of her spinal column were still intact. No obvious injuries except she broke her arm in the six months prior to her death. There is a metal pin in the humerus bone usually put in to help align it whilst healing.’

Robbo spoke: ‘We think we have a match to a missing person: eleven-year-old Shannon Mannings was last seen on the Friday before the Easter weekend on March twenty-sixth 2010. She disappeared from a children’s home in Wales. Hospital records show that Shannon had her arm broken on a home visit courtesy of her stepfather. We have requested mitochondrial DNA from her mother.

‘Because of her home-life Shannon was sent to the children’s home, which is in a rural location. We do know that she was a problem child with a history of self-destructive behaviour; sexualized young by her mother she was sexually active and undergoing counselling for it.’

Davidson stood and took over: ‘We should be able to find out if she had been groomed by anyone before she disappeared. Carter. . you and DC Willis will head up to interview the manager of the home and see if we can find out any more.’

‘Jesus. . why Shannon Mannings? There must have been lots of kids they could kill for their organs? Why didn’t they find an easier target?’ asked Carter.

‘Because Shannon was an exact match for someone,’ answered Harding.

‘Pre-ordered?’ Davidson looked at her. ‘You’re saying that they have a shopping list, these people? They don’t just kill: they kill to order?’ Harding nodded.

‘I agree,’ said Robbo. ‘She was for a specific client: tissue type, blood, age type, all of it was pre-ordered. But the person she was meant for wasn’t ready. Shannon was a walking organ bank. She was kept in Blackdown Barn until they were ready for her.’

‘Maybe that person also stayed at Blackdown Barn,’ said Carter. ‘They could have recovered there after the operation. Maybe that’s why Chichester chose an expensive property. If it was just to hold the victims it wouldn’t have mattered what the place looked like as long as it was secure. If it was to impress clients it would.’

‘Is that possible?’ Davidson looked at Harding. His face was clouded with confusion. ‘Really? A bespoke organ stealing team?’

‘I think it is,’ said Harding.

Davidson shook his head in disbelief. ‘I can’t grasp it.’

‘Nor me. .’ Harding agreed. ‘But the facts are there for us to see.’

Davidson was still trying to take it in. He shook his head, looked around the room, his eyes settled on Harding. ‘Who could live with that. . saving someone they loved by harvesting another? Plus, logistically?’

‘Logistically it would take enormous organization and insider help,’ answered Harding ‘You’d have to have a way into hospital records to find your matching donors. But it’s not difficult. Someone working in the system now or able to hack into NHS records could do it easily. You ask me? I think it’s not just feasible, it makes perfect sense: people don’t care about the moral side of things any more. If your kid, husband, mother was dying, and they needed a transplant? Are you telling me you wouldn’t consider buying them one? I know I would.’